United News of Bangladesh

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved three separate proposals including the import of urea fertiliser from Russia under the direct procurement method and agreements related to a Chinese-backed economic zone in Chattogram. The approvals came at a meeting of the committee following consideration of proposals submitted by the Industries Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office. Finance Minuster Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury chaired the meeting held at  Secretariat. The fertiliser import proposal was placed by the Industries Ministry. The committee also approved the signing two agreements with Bangladesh CEIZ Company Limited, a Special Purpose Company (SPC) formed for the establishment of the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone (CEIZ) at Anwara upazila in Chattogram district. The proposal, submitted by the Prime Minister’s Office, sought approval for the Development Agreement and the Land Lease Agreement to be signed with the company. The Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone is expected to attract foreign investment, facilitate industrialisation and generate employment opportunities in the region. The project is considered one of the majoBr angladesh-China economic cooperation initiatives. The committee also gave nod to another proposal submitted by the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the establishment of a Free Trade Zone. The proposal concerns approval of the portion recommended by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) based on a report submitted by the committee formed to examine matters related to the establishment of a free trade zone.

Two separate probe committees have been formed in connection with the killing of a seven-year-old girl presumably after rape in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat district on Tuesday night. The local administration formed a four-member committee headed by Additional District Magistrate, said Superintendent of Rangpur Police Md Asaduzzaman. The committee has been asked to submit its report within 15 working days. Besides, police formed a three-member probe committee headed by Additional Superintendent of Rangpur police in this connection. The committee has been asked to submit its report within three working days. Superintendent  of Police Asaduzzaman said  Bidhan Chandra confessed to killing of Nandini. “He admitted that the murder took place out of anger stemming from a family dispute. As a result, no remand was sought for him. He also gave a confessional statement before a court,” said SP Asaduzzaman. Although the accused claimed the victim was not raped the matter will be ensured after receiving the autopsy report and completion of the investigation, the SP added. Earlier on Tuesday, police recovered the body of the girl, Nandini Kanta Roy, from a maize field at Falimari village under Bhelabari union, a day after she went missing. Police arrested Bidhan Chandra Roy and his father Ranjit Kumar from the spot in connection with the incident. Nalini Kanta Roy, father of the victim, filed a murder case on Tuesday naming three people including Bidhan and his father Ranjit. Bidhan’s mother Sabitri was also made accused in the case. A clash broke out between police and some agitated villagers when police were taking the two suspects to the police station from the scene, leaving 30 people including the Officer-in-Charge (OC) injured. During the violence, seven vehicles, including those used by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Superintendent of Police (SP) were vandalised. The agitated villagers reportedly confined the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and other officials. The situation later turned volatile, prompting police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel to disperse the crowd by firing sound grenades and take the detained suspects- Bidhan and his father- to the police station. Nandini went missing on Monday. Her body, packed in a sack, was recovered from a nearby maize field on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, the body of Nandini was handed over to the family members of the deceased on Tuesday night. Later he was buried at a graveyard.    

A college teacher was found dead near Shahagola Railway Station in Atrai upazila of Naogaon district on Wednesday. The deceased was identified as Neyamul Bashir, 48, a teacher at Boroshimla Women's College and a resident of Chakramchandra Moholla in the district town. Apart from teaching, he was also involved in the Hajj business. Being informed, police recovered Bashir's body from Shimulia in the morning, said Mahbub Alam, Officer-in-Charge of Atrai Police Station. The body bore several injury marks, including injuries to the head, said OC. Habibur Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of Santahar Government Railway Police (GRP), said the body was sent to Naogaon 250-bed General Hospital for an autopsy. "Those involved in the killing will be identified and brought to justice under the law once a case is filed in this regard," he said. However, Mizanur Rahman, the victim's brother, alleged that miscreants killed him over a previous enmity.    

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday initiated the necessary process to bring back former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed, who was recently arrested in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), under the existing prisoner transfer framework. ACC Deputy Director Aktarul Islam confirmed the development to journalists. According to ACC officials, the required documents have already been handed over to Bangladesh’s National Central Bureau (NCB), which is coordinating the extradition process with the relevant authorities. As part of the legal and diplomatic efforts, two representatives of the NCB) visited the ACC headquarters on Tuesday and held discussions with ACC officials regarding the ongoing cases against Benazir Ahmed, arrest warrants issued by the courts, judicial orders, and other necessary documentation. ACC officials said details of the corruption and illicit wealth accumulation cases filed against the former police chief, along with court orders and supporting documents, have been provided to the NCB. The documents will be sent through diplomatic channels via the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the concerned authorities in the UAE. The extradition efforts are being pursued under the bilateral extradition arrangement and international legal cooperation mechanisms, officials added. Earlier, Home Adviser Salahuddin Ahmed informed Parliament on Sunday that UAE police arrested Benazir Ahmed on June 12 and that he is currently in custody there. Under UAE federal law, a formal extradition request must be submitted through diplomatic channels within 30 days of the arrest. Relevant government agencies are now preparing the required documents to meet the deadline. Benazir Ahmed, a former police chief, is facing multiple cases involving corruption, money laundering, and passport forgery. An Interpol Red Notice was issued against him on April 11, 2025, following a request from Bangladesh Police Headquarters. He was reportedly arrested on June 12 while transiting through Dubai International Airport after arriving from London. Authorities allegedly identified his location through an artificial intelligence-based surveillance system, leading to his detention.

Dr Moudud Hossain Alamgir has been elected president of the new executive committee of the Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons (BCPS) for 2026. All candidates for the committee's posts were elected unopposed in the election held on Tuesday. The newly elected committee will serve for the next two years after assuming office. The results were formally announced by the BCPS Election Commission. The information was confirmed in a notification signed by Election Commissioner Prof Kohinoor Begum. According to the notification, Dr Nuruddin Ahmad was elected senior vice-president, Dr Lutful Aziz vice-president, Dr Sehrin Farhad Siddika treasurer and Dr Imtiaz Faruk secretary. Dr Kazi Din Mohammad was elected as Member (1) of the executive committee. The Election Commission said no nomination paper was submitted for the post of Member (2). As per the rules, a fresh election will be held later for the vacant position.

A security guard died after being electrocuted while picking mangoes from a tree in the capital's Panthapath area on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Abu Raihan, 28, son of Jamal Uddin of Bauler Char area in Ishwarganj upazila of Mymensingh. He had been living with his family in the Panthapath area. According to Mamtazur Rahman, who took him to hospital, Raihan worked as a security guard for AVP Company. He said Raihan came into contact with an electric wire and lost consciousness while picking mangoes from a tree at his workplace. He was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), where the doctor on duty at the emergency department declared him dead after examination. Inspector Md Faruk, in-charge of the DMCH police camp, confirmed the death citing the attending physician. The body has been kept at the hospital morgue and the matter has been reported to the concerned police station, he said.

In a milestone initiative to preserve Bangladesh's cultural heritage and modernise its labour-intensive handloom industry, the National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) has validated a comprehensive competency standard to develop highly skilled artisans for Tangail Saree weaving. The validation workshop for the 'Tangail Saree Weaving (Level-2)' occupation’s Competency Standard (CS) and Course Accreditation Document (CAD)—developed under the Bangladesh National Qualifications Framework (BNQF)—concluded at the NSDA conference room in the capital on Tuesday. NSDA Executive Chairman (Secretary) Dr. Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury presided over the session. Abu Ahmed Siddique, NDC, Chairman (Additional Secretary) of the Bangladesh Handloom Board, and Mirza Nurul Ghani Shovon, Chairman of the Informal Sector Industry Skills Council (ISC), attended the event as special guests. Addressing the session, Dr. Nazneen Kawshar Chowdhury stated that the NSDA is actively working to bring traditional, informal, and labour-intensive sectors under the umbrella of the national skills framework alongside modern technology-driven professions. "The newly developed competency standards and course accreditation for Tangail Saree weaving will expand skill development, official recognition, and formal employment opportunities for the workers in this historic sector," she said. The NSDA chief revealed that over the last 10 months, the authority has developed and reviewed 85 demand-driven competency standards and training curricula across various sectors. This includes structural training frameworks for traditional crafts like Jamdani and Tangail sarees to protect cultural identity and maximize export potential. Highlighting the global success of the national certification system, Dr. Chowdhury disclosed that according to the NSDA tracking system, workers holding the National Skills Certificate (NSC) have successfully secured employment in 58 countries. Additionally, the framework has facilitated domestic employment for nearly 70,000 certificate holders and helped create over 20,000 new entrepreneurs. To expand international market reach, she mentioned that the NSDA is initiating Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) and joint certifications with foreign institutions, including Saudi Arabia's Takamol, Japan's Technogram and Nexus Group, and Australia's TAFE. Furthermore, to cater to global labor market demands, six country-specific competency standards targeting South Korea, the USA, Japan, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia have recently been introduced along with Japanese and English language curricula. The NSDA is also moving toward issuing digitalized certificates featuring QR codes and digital signatures to enhance global acceptability. Special Guest Abu Ahmed Siddique termed the standardisation a vital milestone for the country's weaving community. He announced that the Bangladesh Handloom Board will soon register its Tangail-based training institute with the NSDA to formally roll out the specialized Tangail Saree weaving courses. Industry representatives, textile experts, academics, and senior government officials attended the workshop to finalize the curriculum, which analysts believe will significantly scale up productivity, product quality, and the global competitive edge of traditional Bangladeshi apparel.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has arrested a ground officer of Biman Bangladesh Airlines for allegedly assisting three passengers in travelling to Italy using fake Schengen visas through a human trafficking network. The arrested official, Mohammad Akhlasur Rahman, was detained from Jamalpur on Tuesday morning, CID's Special Superintendent (SS) of Police Badrul Alam Molla told a press briefing at the agency’s headquarters in Malibagh. According to CID, the three passengers left Dhaka for Italy on May 26 on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight. Two of them—Mostafizur Rahman Anik and Akshay Chandra Das—were detected with forged Schengen visas upon arrival at Rome airport and were subsequently sent back to Bangladesh. A third passenger managed to clear immigration in Italy, but CID did not disclose his identity. After the two passengers were repatriated, questioning by different agencies on May 28 revealed information about a trafficking network that had arranged their travel. A case was later filed with Airport Police Station on May 30, leading to the investigation and arrest of the Biman official. CID said the passengers initially obtained boarding passes for a Nepal-bound flight, which did not require visas, and completed immigration formalities using those passes. However, their names were not included in the passenger manifest of the Nepal bound flight. Based on an analysis of CCTV footage from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, investigators found that after getting the Nepal boarding passes, the passengers exited through a staff gate and went to the car parking area, where they allegedly received Italy-bound boarding passes, tickets and forged visas from another individual. The passengers later returned, completed immigration procedures using the Nepal boarding passes and, at one stage, entered a washroom area outside CCTV coverage, where the fake Schengen visas were attached to their passports, CID said. Investigators alleged that Akhlasur assisted the passengers in passing through the INS gate, the final checkpoint before boarding the Italy-bound flight. Since their immigration clearance had been obtained using Nepal-bound boarding passes, the INS gate was the remaining barrier before boarding, CID officials said. Upon arrival in Italy, immigration authorities detected the forged visas of two passengers and returned them to Bangladesh. Badrul Alam said three people have been named in the case, including another Biman official.  He said those found involved during the investigation would be arrested in phases. He also said Akhlasur had verbally admitted his involvement in the incident, though investigators were still examining whether he had links to similar cases. The CID official pointed to a lack of coordination between airlines and immigration authorities regarding passenger manifests and boarding pass verification, describing it as a factor behind the incident.  He added that law enforcement would take action against anyone involved in human trafficking or migrant smuggling, regardless of their institutional affiliation.

The government has decided to develop a seamless and time-efficient rail communication network across the country, aiming to modernise Bangladesh’s railway system. The decision was taken at a meeting on the future planning of Bangladesh Railway held on Tuesday morning at the Cabinet Division’s Public Administration Room at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Briefing reporters, Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu said the meeting discussed both medium- and long-term development plans for the railway sector. “Detailed discussions were held on the modernisation of Bangladesh Railway, including phased conversion of metre-gauge lines from Panchagarh to Cox’s Bazar into broad-gauge lines and upgrading the signalling system,” he said. Shiplu also said issues related to financing of these plans were discussed at the meeting, with the Prime Minister giving necessary directives. Railways Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam, State Minister Habibur Rashid, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives Mir Shahe Alam, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, Railways Secretary Md Fahimul Islam, and Director General of Bangladesh Railway Afzal Hossain, among others, were present.

Holy Ashura, commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), will be observed in the country on June 26 as the Muharram moon was sighted in Bangladesh sky on Tuesday. The decision was taken at a meeting of the National Moon Sighting Committee held at the conference room of Islamic Foundation's Baitul Mukarram office with Additional Religious Affairs Secretary Md Fazlur Rahman in the chair, according to a press release. Holy Ashura is observed on 10th of Muharram in the Hijri year commemorating the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA), grandson of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM). On this day in the Hijri year of 61, Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) along with his family members and 72 followers embraced the martyrdom in the hands of soldiers of Yazid at the desert of Karbala to uphold the teachings of the Prophet (SM).